Alkonost and the Gamayun, the mythical beings of Slavic folklore

The Alkonost and the Gamayun are mythological creatures with the body of a bird and the head of a beautiful woman. They derive from Slavic and Old Russian folklore, and are described as mythical beings that have the ability to mesmerize humans with their enchanting voices.

References and depictions of Alkonost and Gamayun can be found in Russian chronicles, on 13^th century cathedral monuments, and on jewels from the era of Kiev Russia. The Alkonos is typically described as a creature of the dawn while the Gamayun is related with the heavens.

The Alkonost

The Alkonost exudes beauty and docility and, filled with contentment, flies around projecting a sound that is both exquisite and hypnotising.  She enamours those who hear her voice and mentally immobilizes them until they disregard everything in order to hear her delightful melodies.  Her eggs are laid on the sea-shore and then placed in the ocean. According to one version of Slavic folklore, she is able to regulate the weather to her liking; there is a calm before a storm for seven days until the eggs fully hatch.